


Fluttering Hearts

by AlycatIsAlive



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: But now is not the time to say that, Fluff, Honestly Tsukishima is such a sap, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, Tadashi loves animals, They have other matters to attend to, They're so cute together, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Tsukishima Kei & Yamaguchi Tadashi Friendship, Tsukishima is a softie, Tsukki loves him so much, but can you blame him?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:55:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24801937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlycatIsAlive/pseuds/AlycatIsAlive
Summary: At first, Tsukishima was annoyed when his friend woke him up at 5 AM. But he couldn't stay upset with Tadashi's wide eyes and excited grin as he showed him the small hummingbird that was cupped against his chest. Kei's heart thrummed at the look of pure joy on his friend's face, but that wasn't going to be the only thing fluttering in his room that morning.Basically, Tadashi finds a hummingbird on the ground and brings it to his best friend. Neither of them know a thing about nursing birds back to health, and practice starts in two hours, but what could possibly go wrong?
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 5
Kudos: 100





	Fluttering Hearts

**Author's Note:**

> This is mostly told in third person, but like a third-person look into Tsukishima's head if that makes sense? I refer to him as Kei because he thinks of himself as Kei, 'kay? Anyway, I hope you like it! Read the note at the end for the inspiration! <3 <3

“Tsukki!” Kei grumbled at the pounding on his door, rolling over and trying to fall back asleep. “Tsukki, come on, get up!” Kei squinted his eyes, letting himself adjust to the soft pink light filling his bedroom. He glanced at the clock. _It’s only 5 AM. What could he possibly want so early in the morning?_

“Come in,” he sighed. When his family had given Tadashi a key to his house at the beginning of year, this wasn’t what he had planned for it to be used for. Kei stared groggily as Tadashi burst into the room, brimming with excitement. “You know that key is supposed to be if I slept in, not to wake me up early,” Kei mumbled, only able to scold his friend half-heartedly through his fatigue.

“But this is important,” Tadashi whined, “look!” Kei sat up, finally reaching over to his nightstand to grab his glasses. When his friend finally came into focus, he noticed that he had his hands carefully cupped against his chest. The look on his face made Kei’s heart flutter lightly. It was an expression of pure joy and innocence that only Tadashi could pull off.

“What is it?” Kei finally got up, blushing slightly at his lack of clothing. There had been a heatwave over the past few days, and he had made it through the nights by sleeping in just his boxers. Tadashi didn’t mind, of course. He had changed next to his friend at volleyball practice for years. Still, the intimacy of his bedroom made Kei stumble slightly over his feet as he moved to put on a pair of sweatpants.

“A hummingbird!” Tadashi almost sang out the word, his voice sweet. The freckles on his cheeks seemed to dance along to his voice, “I couldn’t sleep again so I went for a walk. I found this little guy laying in the grass. I think he might be hurt.” His voice fell a bit as a pout formed on his lip.

Kei looked at the boy in front of him, eyes wide and full of love for the tiny creature he cupped against his chest. He didn’t understand why Tadashi had brought the bird to him, but Kei was ready to do whatever it took to care for the creature that had captured his friend’s heart.

“Let me see,” Kei bit his lip, gently pulling his friend’s hands from his chest to check the condition of the hummingbird. It zipped away from Tadashi’s grasp, trying desperately to fly around the room. “Quick, shut the door.” Tadashi followed the instructions, doing his best to keep the bird contained. Even though it had tried to fly away, it didn’t seem to be able to hover the way it should be able to. It spun in small circles, not able to stay at one height, falling to the ground after a few seconds.

Tadashi let out a small whimper, tears welling in his eyes. He picked up the bird again, holding it back to his chest protectively.

“I didn’t think it’d be so scared,” his voice was shaky as he tried not to cry. Kei went over to him, pulling him into a gentle hug, careful not to put any pressure on the hands that held the tiny creature.

“It’s okay,” Kei hummed, “it’s just a bit frightened. But it can still fly, that’s good. We’ll figure out how to help it.” He pulled out his phone, sitting on his bed as he began researching.

The only bird rescue that was near them didn’t open until after school would be starting. He glanced at the clock nervously. 5:12 AM. They still had an hour before they had to head to practice. There must be something they could do.

He glanced back over at Tadashi. He was smiling lightly, looking down at his hands. Kei heard the hummingbird’s stop wings beating, making his friend gasp. Once the flapping stopped, Tadashi moved his hands away. He was incredibly slow, the movement barely visible. Once he had pulled his hangs completely away, Tadashi gave his friend a look of amazement. The hummingbird had clung onto Tadashi’s shirt, laying against his chest.

It was small. Incredibly small. Kei didn’t get a good look when it had been buzzing around the room, but he was shocked at how fragile it looked against his friend’s pale blue shirt. The hummingbird’s colors were radiant, a bright red head and emerald green chest. The orange light in the room danced off the bird’s reflective feathers.

Kei glanced up at Tadashi’s face of pure adoration. His eyes were full of tears again, but his face was lit up with a grin that was even more radiant than the bird the grasped his shirt. Kei had never loved a sunrise as much as when it was painted across Tadashi’s features. His freckles were bold in the soft orange lighting, like little sparks that dared to set Kei’s heart ablaze. Tadashi’s eyes met his suddenly as if to ask _am I dreaming?_ Kei felt his heart stutter, afraid to move or make any noise. He didn’t want to ruin this beautiful moment. He bit his lip, carefully raising his phone to take a picture.

And just as suddenly as the bird had rested, it began to fly again. Tadashi squeaked, trying to grab it again, but he was too slow. It bumped against the ceiling, trying to fly higher as it circled the room. The boys jumped up, climbing on the bed, the dresser, the desk, desperately trying to regain their hold of the frantic creature.

Kei felt something fluttering in his hands, quickly cupping the bird in his hands before falling to the ground painfully. Normally a fall like that wouldn’t hurt, but he hadn’t been able to catch himself, too focused on protecting the hummingbird. Tadashi ran over to check on his friend, Kei smiling brightly as he held the creature against his chest. Tadashi looked at him in amazement, making Kei’s heart flutter to match the rhythm of the bird’s wings against his palm.

“Tsukki! You caught him!” Kei hadn’t realized how quiet the room had been before, the only noise coming from the buzzing wings of the creature pressed to his heart. Tadashi’s voice rang loudly in the room, making both of them wince slightly. “Sorry Tsukki,” Tadashi apologized, his voice quieter. He stuck his lip out a bit, faking a pout as mischief danced in his eyes.

“Shut up, Tadashi,” Kei smirked. The words were like a routine to them, filled with a compassion that they didn’t hold when they were younger. “Here, take him back for a minute. I’ll do some more research.” Kei carefully handed the hummingbird back to his friend, who hummed contently once he cupped it against his chest again. Kei wiped his clammy hands on his sweatpants before picking his phone back up. He glanced at the picture he took earlier before showing it to his friend.

Tadashi’s face lit up with another ear-to-ear grin. Kei matched the smile as he looked at the picture again. His friend looked so beautiful, bathing in the sunrise with wonder in his eyes.

“He looks so cute,” Tadashi had moved closer, peering over Kei’s shoulder to see the picture again.

“So do you.” Kei added before he could stop himself. He felt his entire body burn up, quickly trying to backtrack, stumbling over his words, “u-um, I mean, i-it’s a good picture… of you.”

Tadashi stared at his friend blankly. He opened and closed his mouth several times. Kei tried to determine if he was trying to tease him about it or fight the compliment, but he was prepared to argue back either way.

“Thanks, Tsukki.” Tadashi blushed, taking him by surprise. This is the first time he’s heard his friend accept a compliment so willingly. This time, Kei was lost for words. Tadashi starting giggling before he could respond, the sound making Kei feel as if he were floating on air. “You look like a goldfish,” Tadashi teased, back to his usual playful self.

“You think I look like a goldfish? You should’ve seen yourself opening and closing your mouth like that.” Kei smirked, glad to be back to their normal banter. “You even have a little fin on your head,” he laughed, gently tugging on the stray hair that Tadashi could never get to cooperate.

Tadashi stuck his tongue out at his friend defiantly, causing Kei to stop tugging. He didn’t let go though, his fingers twisting the piece of hair playfully. Tadashi’s whole face turned bright red, staring into his friend’s golden eyes. He moved his hands brush Kei’s cheek-

“Crap.” Tadashi jumped, chasing the bird around the room again.

Kei shook his head. He had been so deep into the situation that he had completely forgotten about the hummingbird. He only noticed what had happened when his eyes had been torn away from the comforting gaze of his friend. He looked up at his friend running around the room, hopping on his furniture as easily as if he were playing hopscotch. He saw Tadashi catch the hummingbird, gently pressing it to his chest in midair. He was falling toward the ground, focus purely on protecting the fragile creature he held in his grasp.

Kei caught him against his chest, hugging his friend tightly as they fell against his dresser. His arm stung as he pushed himself back up, regaining his balance. _That is definitely going to leave a bruise_ , he thought, but he shook it off to check on Tadashi.

He was shaking, eyes full of tears for the umpteenth time that morning. He pressed his head against Kei’s chest, willing him to hug him tighter. Kei did, holding onto Tadashi like his life depended on it. The sat like that for a moment before Kei’s brain flicked back on, glancing at the clock. It was almost 5:57 AM. _Shit_.

He pulled away from the hug, sitting back on his bed and pulling his knees to his chest. He sent a text to Suga, saying that they’d be late to morning practice and that he’d explain to him and Daichi later.

He glanced up at Tadashi who had joined him on the bed, sitting crisscrossed across from him. He seemed to be in his own world, eyes slightly glazed over and dream-like.

Kei continued his research, lighting up when he found a blog by a woman who rehabilitated hummingbirds. It was all in English, but he managed to read it well enough to finally get an understanding of how to help the creature.

“Be right back,” Kei mumbled to Tadashi, heading downstairs to the kitchen once his friend gave him a small smile. He searched through the drawers frantically, finally finding a medicine dropper in the very back of one.

He smiled fondly. Kei had always been able to take pills with ease, but Tadashi struggled with it. The two spent so much time together when they were younger that they always got sick at the same time. Kei’s mom always took care of them when they had to stay home sick from school. She even bought the medicine dropper just to help Tadashi take medications. When the liquid cold medicine was too bitter for Tadashi to swallow, he would use the dropper to drop the medicine behind his tongue. Of course the medicine was still bitter, Tadashi’s face would scrunch up adorably every time he took it, but at least he would feel better faster.

While Kei’s mind reminisced, he dissolved some sugar into hot water, letting it cool before filling the dropper. He carefully walked it but up to his room, closing the door behind him quickly in case the bird got loose again. Tadashi looked confused at the dropper in his friend’s hand, Kei only giving him a goofy grin in response.

“Looks like your inability to swallow pills has finally come in handy,” his goofy smile was replaced with his usual smirk, back to teasing his friend like always.

“I remember that dropper,” Tadashi’s voice was wistful, letting the memories flood over him. Suddenly he scrunched up his face, looking remarkably like the little kid Kei remembered so fondly. “There isn’t any nasty medicine in it, is there?”

“No, just some sugar water for the hummingbird,” Kei chuckled. He put his hand out, silently asking to take the creature. Tadashi seemed hesitant, but he couldn’t help give in to his friend’s reassuring smile. Kei held the dropper in his left hand, carefully taking the fragile bird in his right. It was small enough that he could wrap his whole hand around it without crushing it. He loosened his grip, letting the bird rest on his fingers as he covered its back with his palm. It hesitantly clasped onto Kei’s index finger to gain stability.

Kei raised his left hand, putting the opening of the dropper up to the tip of the hummingbird’s beak. When it didn’t drink, he mimicked what the blog advised, gently brushing his thumb over the back of the bird’s head. Kei thought it was the most gentle he’d ever been in his life, barely ghosting its feathers.

Tadashi squeaked when the little bird’s tongue shot into the dropper, finally accepting the offering. He hadn’t noticed how close Tadashi was, mere inches away from Kei’s hand. His eyes were wide, taking in the scene as if it was the most beautiful thing in the world. _My view is way better_ , Kei chuckled, his friend’s breath tickling the back of his hand.

“Can I try?” Tadashi looked up at him with the cutest puppy dog eyes he’s ever seen. Kei could never say no to that. He handed the bird to him carefully, admiring how content his friend looked while feeding the bird. He wanted to sit and watch them for the rest of the day, but… he glanced back at the clock. 6:19 AM.

“I have to get ready, I’ll be right back.” Kei mournfully pulled himself away from the heartwarming scene to take a quick shower and get changed.

By the time he came back, Tadashi had passed out on his bed. The bird was fluttering around frantically, apparently having escaped his friend’s grasp when he fell asleep. Kei closed the bedroom door quickly before the bird could make it into the rest of the house. He wanted to let Tadashi rest. He hadn’t slept well last night, and he always looked so peaceful when was asleep.

Kei reluctantly shook his friend awake before the hummingbird could hurt itself by running into a wall. It seemed to be much better though, no longer flying in circles. It moved around a lot, but it hovered in place instead of hitting the ceiling.

“I can’t believe I fell asleep,” Tadashi yawned, standing up to help capture the bird, “Sorry, Tsukki.”

“Shut up and help me capture this bird, Tadashi.” Kei couldn’t help but laugh at the ridiculous sentence coming from his mouth.

“Oh! Open your window,” Tadashi said excitedly, already running to open it himself. “He seems better now, we just have to herd him outside.”

Kei was almost shocked at how easily his friend was saying goodbye to the creature. When they were younger, Tadashi would spend hours trying to befriend every single stray cat that he met. He told Kei that one day one of them would like him enough to follow him home, and then he’d have a new friend. _He seems to have grown up much more than I realized_.

The two of them gently ushered the hummingbird toward the open window. It circled around their heads, almost as a thank you, before buzzing out into the morning air and fluttering away happily.

Tadashi sighed, silent tears streaming from his eyes. _He’s still not completely grown up though_ , Kei thought to himself, the sight tugging at his heart strings. He brought his hand up slowly and cupped his friend’s cheek, brushing the tears away with the same gentle touch as before. Tadashi leaned into the feeling, a soft smile forming on his lips. The tears had stopped, but Kei kept running his thumb over the freckles that dotted Tadashi’s cheek.

 _He’s so beautiful_ , Kei smiled back before quickly pulling away, his face suddenly feeling very hot.

“U-um, we have to head to school now,” Kei mumbled, trying to pretend that he hadn’t just been caressing his best friend’s face.

“Right!” Tadashi’s voice came out higher than usual as he quickly grabbed his bag, heading down the stairs first.

They walked to school easily, joking around as if it was second nature. And to them, it was. Still, every time Kei looked at his friend, he had the same fluttery feeling in his chest, as if his heart had come to life and was trying to escape his rib cage. Maybe one day, he’d finally have the courage to set it free. Maybe one day he’d tell Tadashi how he felt. But today, he just enjoyed the feeling of having his best friend by his side.

**Author's Note:**

> AHHH I hope you guys liked this fic!! As usual, it ended up being way longer than I expected. I keep getting caught up about how hopelessly in love they are, and then my fingers just keep typing. That being said, I hope it isn't as rambly to read as it felt to write. I definitely need to work on my pacing, as well as some other things... But thank you guys so much for reading, despite the areas I need to improve.
> 
> This story is lightly inspired by the time I actually got to nurse a hummingbird back to health. My mom is a veterinarian, so everyone in the neighborhood would run to her if they found an animal that wasn't doing well. The hummingbird was actually found at my brother's work, but he brought it home for her to look at. It wasn't actually injured at all, so my mom sent me into the bathroom with it to do some research on how to help. I found the blog I mentioned in the story, and followed the directions to get the hummingbird to drink, and it was fine! Still one of the single most surreal moments of my life though. I just wish I had a cute best friend sitting with me during the whole experience. Anyway, thank you guys again for reading. It seriously means so much to me when I see that people read what I wrote. I hope you guys enjoy reading these stories as much as I enjoy writing them. Stay safe and be strong!! <3 <3


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